Livestock wealth and social capital as insurance against climate risk: A case study of Samburu County in Kenya

Ng’ang’a, Stanley Karanja; Bulte, Erwin; Ndiwa, Nicholas N.; Kifugo, S.C.; McIntire, John M.; Herrero, Mario; Rufino, Mariana C.

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2016.04.004

Cited by 38 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…For example, calves are sold only when severe shocks occur. Thus, while our study supports earlier research on the role of cattle as a form of insurance (Ng'ang'a et al 2016) and capital (Sanginga et al 2013) Institutional environment aspects, e.g. cultural norms and values, should also be considered.…”

Section: Importance Of Policymakers' Understanding Of Cattle-keepers'supporting

confidence: 83%

“…The continuing importance of livestock -in particular the role of cattle as insurance among many societies in SSA -is evident among pastoral and agro-pastoral households (Ng'ang'a et al 2016). Where the financial sector is not well developed and households not fully integrated into credit markets, cattle perform financing roles as part of the herd can be converted into disposable income (Valdivia et al 1996).…”

Section: A Review Of Household Oriented Benefits Derived From Cattlementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Approximately 38% of Mozambique is classified as ASALs. For pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities, livestock are important to livelihoods in at least six ways (Livestock in Development 1998;Ng'ang'a et al 2016): i) as a source of income; ii) as one of the few affordable appreciating assets available to the rural poor -especially women; iii) as source of manure and draft power, which are vital in soil fertility preservation and sustainable intensification of farming systems; iv) to allow poor households to exploit common property resources such as open grazing areas, to earn income and derive additional benefits; v) to enable income diversification through livestock products, so reducing total income variability (Hänke and Barkmann 2017); and vi) to Household benefits outweigh commercial benefits provide a vital and often sole income source for the poorest and most marginalised rural poor (Ng'ang'a et al 2016). Additionally, livestock are also used to pay bridewealth (the wealth the bridegroom transfers to the family of the bride; Herskovits 1926) and to diversify production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Milk production is seasonal, as it depends largely on the availability of pasture and water (Ayantunde et al 2011). Most milk produced is consumed, the surplus shared with neighbours or sold for cash (Holden and Coppock 1992;Ng'ang'a et al 2016). Farmers raising cattle also derive direct benefits from sale or consumption of animal-source foods (milk and meat), and household-oriented benefits such as risk management, manure and cultural uses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Household-oriented benefits largely outweigh commercial benefits derived from cattle in Mabalane District, Mozambique

et al. 2018

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In Sub-Saharan Africa, research aimed at improving household livelihoods through cattle often targets commercial benefits while neglecting household-oriented benefits. The latter are rarely articulated, and their comprehensive role in livelihoods is little understood by policymakers. The main aim of this study was to assess household-oriented benefits of cattle as a basis for formulating appropriate policies. Data were collected from 192 households selected through multistage random sampling in Mabalane District of Mozambique in 2009. The main objectives of cattle raising were identified and ranked in order of importance by using the analytical hierarchy procedure. The vast majority (98%) of households kept cattle primarily to derive various types of household-oriented benefits such as draft power, financing, insurance, saving, social status and bridewealth. Only 2% of households kept cattle mainly for commercial benefits. The households secured financing, insurance and saving primarily by capital accumulation through herd expansion, for example after a good crop harvest, using the profit to purchase a young calf, an ox or a heifer. Households reporting social prestige as an important objective for raising cattle were mainly those already with high social status. In Mabalane District, a large herd of cattle is considered evidence of one’s ability to manage communally owned resources. This suggests that the functions of draft power, financing, insurance and saving play important roles in the livelihoods of most of agro-pastoral households in Mozambique—arguably more important than meat and milk. The reliance on financing, insurance and saving benefits of cattle, as well as the low level of milk and meat marketing, could be explained by the low level of development within the district, exacerbated by the civil war that ended in the 1990s.

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Section: Importance Of Policymakers' Understanding Of Cattle-keepers'supporting

confidence: 83%

Section: A Review Of Household Oriented Benefits Derived From Cattlementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Household-oriented benefits largely outweigh commercial benefits derived from cattle in Mabalane District, Mozambique

et al. 2018

Self Cite

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“…Potential investment in these types of agricultural-based adaptations could also provide potential future mitigation benefits, if such investments reduce land clearing associated with agriculture by increasing yields [ 55 ]. Livestock for smallholder farmer food security has also been largely demonstrated in other literature, both for its potential to diversify diets as well as its use as an insurance mechanism [ 56 , 57 ]. Finally, the role of education here is critical to note in light of the SDGs, suggesting that there are co-benefits between education, agricultural development and food security, highlighting the interconnectedness of achieving the SDGs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-country analysis of climate shocks and smallholder food insecurity

Niles

Salerno

2018

PLoS ONE

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Future climate changes will affect smallholder farmers in the developing world, posing threats to household food security. Nevertheless, there remains limited comparable evidence across multiple countries and regions regarding the global extent of climate shocks affecting smallholder food security. We examine data from 5,299 household surveys across 15 countries in Latin America, Africa and South Asia to assess the extent of climate shocks and their association with food insecurity, as well as what strategies may help buffer against climate shocks. We find that 71% of households reported experiencing a climate shock in the previous five years. Fifty-four percent reported experiencing food insecurity during one or more months annually. A multilevel statistical model estimated factors correlated with food insecurity as well as factors correlated with food insecurity among households that had experienced a climate shock. Households that reported experiencing a climate shock were 1.73 times more likely to be food insecure. As well, larger and poorer households were associated with higher odds of food insecurity while using pesticides, keeping large livestock, and being more educated are associated with lower odds of food insecurity. Among households that had experienced a climate shock, additional factors are correlated with lower odds of food insecurity when compared to otherwise similar households: use of fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary medicines, large livestock, and household assets. Together, these results demonstrate the extent of existing climate shocks affecting smallholder farmers and how interventions may potentially support adaptation and reduce food insecurity.

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Managing multiple stressors for sustainable livelihoods in dryland ecosystems: Insights and entry points for resource management

Li,

Singh,

Cui

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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Communities in dryland ecosystems face multiple stressors that threaten their livelihood resilience. While community resilience in socio‐ecological systems is largely determined by access to and sustainable management of natural resources, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. This study, which uses grounded theory integrated with discourse analysis, aims to contribute addressing this knowledge gap. First, we explore global literature describing trends and patterns in the various stressors—including climate change, frequent drought, and famine, ecological, socio‐economic, and institutional stressors—that impact the livelihood resilience of these communities, with the goal of summarizing how multiple stressors impact the sustainability of dryland social‐ecological systems. Then, using the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a reference target, we propose potential entry points to support livelihood resilience pathways. These include land, water, livestock and agroforestry, and institutional and social capital. Lastly, we suggest an integrated multi‐scalar pathway embedded with cross‐sectorial policies and differential cross‐social strategies towards combining resilience with SDGs targets. This research can help stakeholders to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of various stressors, ultimately strengthening livelihood resilience in dryland ecosystems.

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Livestock wealth and social capital as insurance against climate risk: A case study of Samburu County in Kenya

Cited by 38 publications

References 39 publications

Household-oriented benefits largely outweigh commercial benefits derived from cattle in Mabalane District, Mozambique

Household-oriented benefits largely outweigh commercial benefits derived from cattle in Mabalane District, Mozambique

A cross-country analysis of climate shocks and smallholder food insecurity

Managing multiple stressors for sustainable livelihoods in dryland ecosystems: Insights and entry points for resource management

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